If you’re a Christian, you probably describe yourself as a monotheist. Christianity is typically grouped with Judaism and Islam as one of the great monotheistic faiths. It’s a dogma that the Church holds to staunchly (particularly conservative Evangelicals), and broadly speaking, I think that’s a good thing.
But in recent years, debates have erupted over whether the Bible itself is truly monotheistic. Some argue that the ancient Israelites believed in the existence of multiple gods. Others insist the Scriptures teach that only one divine being exists at all. The debates are fascinating to watch and take part in, but over time, I began to question whether monotheism vs polytheism is even the right debate to be having.
Because here’s the thing: most people don’t even know how to define the relevant terms. What does “God” even mean? The answer to that varies depending on who you ask, yet it’s essential for proper argument.
So, here’s my thesis:
The central claim of Scripture is not that only one elohim (god) exists, but that only one is uncreated, sovereign, and worthy of exclusive worship: Yahweh, God Most High.
I think you’ll be surprised to learn that the biblical authors didn’t conceive of the term “God” in the same way that we do. It was a much broader category that deserves some serious attention.
What Does “God” Mean?
I want you to pause for a moment and think about what you mean when you say “God.”
Have something in mind?
My guess is that you probably imagined certain attributes, like omnipotence, omniscience, eternality, etc. That’s where most modern readers go when they come across the word “God” in their Bibles. And by that definition, yes of course, we can affirm that Yahweh is the only God.
However, that definition is not what the biblical authors had in mind when they penned the words “elohim,” “elim,” “el,” or “eloah.” In the Hebrew Bible, these terms do not describe a unique set of divine attributes. They describe a category of being; specifically a locational category of being. As Michael Heiser has argued (most notably in The Unseen Realm), the term functions as a category of spiritual being rather than a description of intrinsic attributes.
While there are literally thousands of occurrences of elohim in the Scriptures, here are just a few examples:
- Genesis 1:1; Exodus 20:1; Joshua 14:14 – Describing Yahweh.
- Psalm 82:1; 6 – Describing the divine council.
- Psalm 8:5 – Describing angels.
- Deuteronomy 32:17 – Describing demons.
- 1 Samuel 28:13 – Describing the disembodied spirit of Samuel.
You’ll notice the wide variety of descriptions. The biblical authors were comfortable using the same word for Yahweh, angels, demons, departed spirits, and members of the divine council. That alone should cause us to slow down before importing modern definitions into the text.
None of this implies that these beings are equal to Yahweh. The biblical authors are not confused about who created all things, who rules all things, or who alone deserves worship. The point is simply this: the word elohim does not mean “the one uncreated, omnipotent being.” It refers more broadly to inhabitants of the spiritual realm.
If that is the case, then asking, “Does the Bible teach that only one elohim exists?” may be the wrong question.
The Ancient World was Not Spiritually Minimalist
The Bible makes several references to the beney elohim, translated as “the sons of God.” You see them appear in Job 1-2 during a divine council meeting (a heavenly assembly over which Yahweh presides), in Deuteronomy 32 where the nations are divided and given to the sons of God as an allotment, and in Psalm 82 where these beings are judged for their corrupt handling of the nations. Psalm 82, in particular, refers to them as elohim (v. 6), and Jesus quotes this verse again in John 10:34.
To put it simply, Jesus refers to these spiritual beings using the same word that we translate as “god.” And he doesn’t use the term polemically or metaphorically, otherwise the rest of the argument for his divinity in John 10 falls flat.
We know that these “gods” are created by Yahweh. On the other hand, the Bible makes clear that Yahweh alone is uncreated, and all other elohim exist because He created them. Colossians 1:16-17 says this:
For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
Notice what this implies: Yahweh created all things, including things that are invisible, thrones, dominions, rulers, and authorities. That includes these other gods.
The existence of other elohim is not treated as controversial in Scripture. Their rivalry with Yahweh is. Scripture is less concerned with the existence of other elohim than with demonstrating that none can rival Yahweh. That distinction is what biblical monotheism is really about.
What Makes Yahweh Unique?
Even though Yahweh isn’t the only elohim, there’s no doubt or question about his incomparability. By his very nature, he is distinct and above the other gods, and the Bible makes this clear in a number of ways.
He is Uncreated
Yahweh is the only being who is uncreated. Psalm 90:2 says, “Before the mountains were born or You gave birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.”
1 Timothy 1:17 tells us that Yahweh is “immortal,” and a couple places in Isaiah get at the same idea that he “inhabits eternity” (57:15) and that he is “the first and the last” (44:6).
This sets him apart not only from other gods but from everything else in creation.
He Created All Things
This goes back to Colossians 1:16-17. There is nothing created that doesn’t have its origin in Yahweh – including other divine beings.
He Gives Life
Yahweh is the sole source of life. We see this most obviously in the Genesis 2 account of Adam’s creation, but the idea appears elsewhere in Scripture too. Acts 17:25 says that “he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else,” and 1 Timothy 6:13 very succinctly states that he “gives life to all things.”
He Can Remove Life
Yahweh can remove life not only from humans, as in the account of Ananias and Sapphira, but also from divine beings under his judgment. Psalm 82:7, in reference to the elohim under judgment, says, “Nevertheless you will die like men and fall like any one of the princes.” The idea that one God can take the life of another god is a profound statement that would have radically shown Yahweh’s incomparability to any ancient reader.
He Alone is Most High
The biblical writers named Yahweh El Elyon, God Most High, several times to indicate his supremacy and incomparability over any other god. All of these characteristics — uncreated, creator, giver and remover of life — culminate in this one title.
The biblical claim is not that Yahweh is the only spiritual being. It is that He is unlike any other. Nothing in this framework diminishes classical Christian confession that there is one uncreated God, the maker of heaven and earth.
What About Isaiah and the Shema?
Of course, two texts immediately come to mind for many readers: the Shema in Deuteronomy 6:4 and the sweeping declarations in Isaiah 40–48.
The Shema famously says, “Hear, O Israel: Yahweh our God, Yahweh is one.” For many modern readers, “one” is automatically taken to mean “one being exists and no other divine beings exist at all.” But the Hebrew word echad does not inherently communicate solitary existence. It speaks of unity and uniqueness. In context, the Shema is a covenantal pledge of exclusive allegiance. Israel is surrounded by nations who divide their worship among many gods, so the Shema calls Israel to undivided loyalty to Yahweh alone.
Isaiah 40–48 is often cited even more forcefully. Yahweh declares, “Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me” (Isa 43:10), and “I am Yahweh, and there is no other; besides Me there is no God” (Isa 45:5). At first glance, these statements seem to erase the category entirely.
But this is why context matters. Isaiah is contrasting Yahweh with the idols of the nations: gods who can’t create, save, predict the future, or deliver their worshippers. Over and over, the refrain is about incomparability and exclusivity. “To whom will you liken Me?” (Isa 40:25). The language is polemical, covenantal, and rhetorical. It’s also the kind of exclusive language common in the ancient Near East when a king or deity asserted unrivaled supremacy. It does not require the denial of all other spiritual beings; it asserts that none stand in Yahweh’s category.
So, is the Bible Monotheistic?
Honestly, the answer to this question (once again) comes down to how you define “monotheism.”
The English term “monotheism” emerged in 17th-century scholarship and became common in the 18th century during the Enlightenment, shaped by thinkers such as Henry More, Ralph Cudworth, and Christian Wolff. More, in particular, coined the term “monotheism” in his desire to integrate Platonic philosophy with practical ethics and metaphysics.
Needless to say, the term is modern. So, if we’re talking about More’s definition of monotheism, which falls under the umbrella of philosophical monotheism, then no, the Bible doesn’t fit neatly within that later philosophical definition. The text, and even Jesus himself, doesn’t shy away from affirming the existence of other gods, as we’ve seen.
However, if you’re referring to biblical monotheism (that Yahweh is supreme, worthy of worship, and without rival in nature), then the biblical authors are resoundingly monotheistic. This is not a return to pagan polytheism, where gods are rival creators or co-equal powers. Scripture consistently denies that any other elohim share Yahweh’s nature, authority, or creative power.
As I see it, the problem with most debates on monotheism vs polytheism is that well-intentioned Christians try to argue for the former definition: that only one divine being exists. Scripture, on the other hand, consistently emphasizes the second: that among the gods, Yahweh is in a class of his own, and is the only one worthy of worship.
Final Thoughts
And so, I ask again: is monotheism vs polytheism (as commonly understood) really the debate we should be having? The Bible is unconcerned with the outcome of that argument, and I think we should follow suit.
The biblical authors weren’t trying to do divine arithmetic. They were concerned with allegiance. They were concerned with worship. They were concerned with declaring that among all the powers in heaven and on earth, Yahweh stands alone in nature, authority, and glory.
He created the other gods.
He judges the other gods.
He outlives the other gods.
This is not polytheism, paganism, or theological compromise. It is the radical claim that El Elyon, the Most High, rules over every realm, visible and invisible, and that no being shares his throne. Psalm 97:9 declares, “You, Lord, are Most High over all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods.”
If that is monotheism, then Scripture is resoundingly monotheistic. If it is not, then perhaps we need better words.
